This is a sampling from Bay Area News Group's Political Blotter blog. Read more and post comments at www.ibabuzz.com/politics.

Feb. 12

An effort to recall several California Democratic lawmakers from office because of their votes on gun-control bills last year seems to be on the back burner now.

"They're not off the table, they're still being considered, but there's just a lot going on," said Jennifer Kerns, who founded the nonprofit Free California last October. "No decisions have been made as to whether to move forward. ... We're still in sort of a wait-and-see mode."

Kerns, a political consultant now managing Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly's gubernatorial campaign, was involved in last year's successful recall of two Colorado lawmakers over that state's gun-control legislation.

But California and Colorado are very different, noted Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, whose group was supporting the Free California effort.

The Legislature's Democratic supermajority could too easily consolidate any recall elections with this year's regular elections, thus negating recall supporters' advantage of lesser total voter turnout, Paredes said. Also, California requires that recall petition signature gatherers be registered to vote within that specific district, making use of paid circulators much harder.

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"We're looking at the realities of politics in California, the realities of the electoral process," Paredes said. "So we're in a contemplative status."

Kerns noted Wednesday that two of those districts -- Hueso's and Gonzalez -- would've competed for attention with the San Diego mayoral election that just concluded this week; now that the mayoral contest is done, Free California might take a fresh look at unseating the lawmakers.

Free California's Facebook page hasn't been updated since October. As a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, it's not required to disclose its contributors.

Though both Kerns and Paredes said the recall idea isn't completely off the table, it's hard to see how they can maintain momentum as more time passes since last year's gun-control votes; petitions began circulating for the Colorado recalls less than a week after that state's new bills were signed into law. And as this year's gubernatorial and legislative races demand more attention, time and money, there'll be less and less left for an effort like this.

Feb. 14

Alameda Councilman Tony Daysog says he's considering a run for the 11th Congressional District seat from which Rep. George Miller will retire at this year's end.

And here I thought state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier -- already endorsed by Miller and about a half-dozen other Democrats who might've sought the seat -- was being over-cautious by rolling out another endorsement almost every day. (Well, maybe that's still true.)

Daysog, 48, of Alameda, said in an email Friday afternoon that he had just taken out papers to file for candidacy, and is exploring the possibility of a run.

"In the days leading up to the March 7th filing deadline, I will talk with Contra Costa County residents of the 11th Congressional (District) to gauge responses to an out-of-district person such as myself running for this important office," he wrote.

Daysog, an urban planner, was an Alameda councilman from 1996 through 2006; placed last in a field of four in the June 2006 Democratic primary for what was then the 16th Assembly District seat; ran unsuccessfully for the Alameda mayor's office in 2010; and was re-elected to the city council in 2012.

Daysog's website says his priorities are securing individual freedoms by safeguarding individual rights from high-tech snooping; protecting small investors, including owners of 401(k) retirement accounts; protecting abortion choice; making college affordable without massive debt; and supporting small business owners to create jobs while supporting workers to pursue life-long learning.